Letter: Don’t limit access to Rattlesnake Mountain to just hikers

A lot of ideas have been put forth about opening access to Rattlesnake Mountain. Some of the suggestions so far are to open it to hikers only. This is not fair to people who are unable to climb it.

I would like to see an observation building, with windows all around, on the summit, possibly including a snack bar and other amenities. An aerial tram or cable car would run from the top to the base of the mountain. The only vehicles that need be allowed on top would be for service and maintenance.

This would be a great tourist attraction and would probably pay for the expense to build and operate it. The terminal at the base of the mountain would be a parking area for visitors, gift shop, et cetera. This also could be a terminal for tour buses to visit the Hanford national park.

Anyone who has ever visited the tram on the mountain near Wallowa Lake would know what an attraction this has the potential to be. The view from the top of Rattlesnake is fabulous and should be open to as many people as possible and not limited to hikers only.

This story was originally published November 23, 2015 at 5:38 PM with the headline "Letter: Don’t limit access to Rattlesnake Mountain to just hikers."